Memphis to consider speed cameras

A car speeds past a crosswalk on Linden by Southwest Community College. The city is considering installing cameras to slow traffic at such pedestrian areas.

The city of Memphis is considering the use of cameras to catch lead-footed drivers.

Chief Administrative Officer George Little said during a Tuesday meeting of the council's Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee that installing cameras to catch speeding drivers could reduce the number of traffic accidents inside the city while freeing up police officers for other duties.

"This is in response to legitimate public safety issues," said Little. "The general data suggests that where there are cameras, the number of accidents goes down over time."

Little said the Engineering Division was conducting a traffic analysis to see where the cameras would be needed and that the Memphis Police Department was testing some of the speed cameras. Little said he would report back to the committee before requesting a vote on the cameras.

When the council approved the current year's operating budget in June, it did not approve the installation of speed cameras. Several council members said they view the installation of speed cameras as a revenue-generating measure, but Little and a representative of American Traffic Solutions — which leases 25 red-light cameras to the city and is proposing the speed cameras — said public safety was the top priority.

"While it has budget implications, we've missed an important part of the conversation," said Little. "There's a big public safety component to this."

ATS could provide the city with several types of cameras. The company could reset the existing 25 red-light cameras to catch speeders, or install new, fixed-position speed cameras. Mobile units could be moved throughout the city and cameras could be placed in police vehicles.

For the red-light cameras the city pays ATS a flat fee of $3,995 per camera, per month. The fees are generated by people who pay fines for running red lights. If the fines don't generate enough revenue to pay the monthly fees, ATS is stuck with the costs.

"It's a violator funded program, not a taxpayer funded program," said Jason Norton, vice president of account management for ATS.

Norton said the city could net roughly $700,000 a year by adding 15 speed cameras.

"Obviously, it makes sense on a lot of levels, but where do you draw the line on surveillance?" Conrad asked.

Little said the cameras would only be used around speeding hot spots or near schools.

"It would be in a very targeted way, around specific problems as opposed to a wider deployment to generate revenues," Little said.

Meanwhile a measure designed to protect pedestrians was moved along by a City Council committee.

The committee approved an ordinance amendment sponsored by Lee Harris that requires motorists to come to a complete stop when a pedestrian is in a marked crosswalk. The council will hold the first of three readings on the measure in two weeks.